Sporting shoe

ABSTRACT

.[.The present invention relates to certain novel and valuable improvements in sporting shoes used for running or jogging..]. 
     .Iadd.A sporting shoe has a relatively rigid sole whose longitudinal center portion is convexly curved in a longitudinal direction to form a pedestal about which the shoe rotates. It also has resilient sole portions at the heel and toe. .Iaddend.

An object of this invention is to provide the athlete with a sportingshoe which will reduce the time and energy required to run or jog whileresulting in a running or jogging movement more comfortable than hasbeen possible in the past.

A further object of this invention is to accomplish a more effectivedistribution of the athlete's weight along the entire length of the shoeas it makes contact with the running surface, thus aiding in theprevention of physical injury to portions of the lower extremities.

The invention may be more fully understood by referring to the annexeddrawings and descriptions hereinafter given.

DRAWING SUMMARY

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of a shoe made inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view partially in cross-section, of a variation of theinvention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 illustrates a shoe A having a housing or upper portion 2 and arelatively rigid sole 3. The housing or upper part 2 is made from softmaterials in a conventional fashion. The rigid sole 3 is preferably madeof hardened rubber but may also be made of any other type of relativelyrigid material. The bottom surface 4 of the sole 3 is convexly arcuatelycurved in a longitudinal direction so that its longitudinal centerportion provides a pedestal 5.

A first resilient auxiliary sole member 6 is secured to the heel portionof the rigid sole 3, and is preferably made of a highly resilient rubberor other elastomeric material. A second resilient auxiliary sole member7 is secured to the toe portion of the rigid sole 3 and also extendsunderneath the area where the ball portion of a wearer's foot will belocated. The auxiliary sole members 6 and 7 are spaced apartsufficiently to leave the pedestal 5 of the rigid sole 3 exposed todirect contact with a running surface. Resilient sole member 6 is ofsubstantial thickness underneath the rearward extremity of the rigidsole 3 and its under surface is convexly arcuately curved even more thanthe surface 4 of the rigid sole 3.

Both the forward extremity of the rigid sole 3 and the forward extremityof the auxiliary sole member 7 are curved upwardly in front of the toeportion of the shoe housing or upper part 2. Sole member 7 is relativelythick underneath the toe portion of the shoe, and its bottom or outersurface is curved to form nearly a half circle at the forward extremityof the shoe. However, the rearward extremity of the sole member 7 has arelatively flat under surface and a substantially triangularcross-sectional configuration which tapers down to zero thickness justforward of the pedestal 5.

When the shoe A of FIG. 1 is worn by a runner the runner may land upon arunning surface .[.with.]. .Iadd.at .Iaddend.the heel portion of therigid sole 3. If so, the runner's foot and the entire shoe will thenroll forward in a pivotal movement about the pedestal 5. Initial contactof the shoe with the running surface occurs at the rearward extremity ofresilient .[.shoe.]. .Iadd.sole .Iaddend.member 6, which is thencompressed in a direction shown by double-headed arrow 8. As the shoerolls forward on the rigid sole 3 the direction of compression withinthe resilient material of sole member .[.8.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.changesas a continuous function. Before the runner springs off the surfaceagain the resilient sole member 7 comes into contact with the runningsurface and the resilient sole member 6 is lifted away from it. Thedirection of compressive force within the auxiliary sole member 7changes continuously until it finally approximates that shown by thedouble-headed arrow 9, shortly before the runner uses his toes to springaway from the running surface.

The auxiliary sole members 6 and 7 are secured to the rigid sole 3 alongits curved surface 4 by cement, staples, tacks or other means havingsufficient binding or securing capabilities. The sole 3 is attached tohousing 2 by any conventional means.

The resiliency of the lower heel portion 6 acts to cushion the impactcreated by the runner's foot as it makes initial contact with therunning surface, and furthermore, this resiliency in conjunction withthe rigidity of the sole 3 and the shapes of the various sole portionsenables the athlete to spring forward with greater ease and comfort thancould have been experienced by him in the past. Thus, the initialcompression of the lower toe portion 7 provides stored energy which thenaids the runner in springing away from the running surface.

The rigid sole 3 is, in a mechanical and functional sense, an internalstructure which serves to support the weight of the runner in arelatively constant fashion as the angular relationship between his footand the running surface changes. Specifically, as the entire shoe andthe runner's foot rolls forward in a pivoting movement about thepedestal 5, the support of the foot itself by the rigid sole 3 remainsrelatively unchanged.

FIG. 2 illustrates a variation of the present invention, a shoe Bwherein the housing or upper portion 11 may be identical to that of theprior embodiment, and the rigid sole 12 is identical or closely similarin configuration to the rigid sole 3. The rigid sole 12, however, ispreferably constructed of a light metal alloy and hence is both strongerand more rigid than the sole 3 of FIG. 1. A resilient heel member 15 isof generally similar configuration to the sole member 6, while aresilient toe member 16 is of configuration generally similar to that ofthe sole member 7, except that the auxiliary members 15 and 16 haveinner portions which meet at the location of the pedestal 5. A hinge 17pivotally secures the inner end portions of the sole members 15, 16 tothe rigid sole 12.

Each of the sole members 15, 16 has a plurality of vertical recesses 13formed in its upper surface, and a coil spring 14 is received in eachone of the recesses. Corresponding to each recess 13 in one of theresilient sole members 15, 16 is a shallow recess 12a in the rigid sole12 which receives the upper end of the coiled spring 14 and holds it inposition. Thus the coiled springs 14 enhance the compressive andexpansive ability of the resilient sole members 15, 16 in and ofthemselves, and at the same time the hinge 17 serves to guide andconfine the movement of the sole members 15, 16 and also preventslateral slippage or displacement of the springs while they areperforming their function of compression and expansion.

The invention has been described in considerable detail in order tocomply with the patent laws by providing a full public disclosure of atleast one of its forms. However, such detailed description is notintended in any way to limit the broad features or principles of theinvention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sporting shoe comprising:an upper housing; arelatively rigid sole disposed beneath and secured to said housing.[.,the bottom surface of said sole being convexly arcuately curved in alongitudinal direction so that its longitudinal center portion providesa pedestal, whereby when a runner wearing the shoe lands upon a runningsurface with the heel portion of said sole the runner's foot and theshoe will then roll forward in a pivotal movement about saidpedestal.].; a first resilient auxiliary sole member secured to the heelportion of said rigid sole; and a second resilient auxiliary sole membersecured to the toe portion of said rigid sole.Iadd.; and the bottomsurface of said rigid sole being convexly arcuately curved in alongitudinal direction so that its longitudinal center portion providesa pedestal; whereby when a runner wearing the shoe lands upon a runningsurface by engaging same with said first auxiliary sole member, therunner's foot and the shoe will then roll forward in a pivotal movementabout said pedestal.Iaddend..
 2. A shoe as in claim 1 wherein saidauxiliary sole members are spaced apart sufficiently to leave saidpedestal exposed to direct contact with the running surface.
 3. A shoeas in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary sole members have inner endportions which meet at the location of said pedestal; and which furtherincludes means pivotally securing said end portions to said pedestal.